1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a network design processing device and method, and program therefor for supporting the network design/construction of computer systems. Particularly, the present invention relates to a technique for automatically detecting a setting error in a network in the network diagram of a designed computer system and for automatically detecting a non-redundant device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, when computer systems are designed or constructed, the designers have created a network diagram and performed a network setting for each device using the created network diagram. Specifically, the designers have decided information for setting each device by reviewing the created network diagram based on an empirical approach, written out the information into a data table by hand, and then performed a setting for each device according to the information. The designers have repeated these tasks for each device one by one. This has imposed a great burden on the designers and caused problems with a large number of setting errors.
On the contrary, there are techniques for supporting designers in designing or constructing computer systems. Such techniques include a network configuration and design support system described in Patent Document 1.
This network configuration and design support system of Patent Document 1 is provided a network device graphics information file, in which pictures are stored that indicate the appearance or symbol of network component devices. The designers can create a network configuration diagram by selecting a desired picture from a graphics menu of the pictures on a display screen. This enables the designers to facilitate their tasks, such as the creation of network device configuration diagrams or the selection of hardware or software associated with the network construction.
The network configuration and design support system of Patent Document 1 also has means for validating a combination of attributes that are defined for each device, based on the attribute definition information for each device. The network configuration and design support system further comprises means for validating a connection relationship between devices, a communication relationship between software used by each device, and a reference relationship between data.
(Patent Document 1: Japanese Laid-Open H06-187396)
At the time of network design for the computer system, it is necessary, needless to say, to set correct addresses for all devices, but also to consider other configuration restrictions. This imposes a significant burden on the operators.
Additionally, it is possible to provide communications between devices when the devices are physically connected to each other via a network. However, it is also necessary to consider such restrictions for the device setting when there are some combinations of devices being desired to provide communications and others not, depending on the operational policies.
Further, displaying all communication settings on a single network diagram at a time makes the network diagram significantly complicated. This may result in a problem that a designer forgets to configure a communication setting or configures incorrectly in a communication setting.
On the other hand, as a countermeasure against abnormal conditions during the operation of the computer system, it is desirable to clarify a device at a network design stage, which affects other devices when a failure occurs.
The network configuration and design support system, disclosed in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, has no function for preventing the oversight of communication settings or incorrect communication settings, or for detecting a critical point (CP) that causes a severe communication failure.
Particularly, in communications between devices, there is service session necessary for actual task execution during the operation of the system and maintenance session necessary for the system maintenance, which is different for respective communication purposes. Therefore, it is desirable to be able to provide setting, displaying, and checking of each session separately. However, the conventional technique could not handle the service session and the maintenance session as distinguished from each other in a network diagram. Thus, it could not also provide a display, which differentiates the two types of communications such that one part displays only the communication of the service session, and another displays only the communication of the maintenance session in the network diagram that is displayed on a display device.
It is an object of the present invention to solve the above problems and prevent the oversight of communication settings or incorrect communication settings at the time of network design for the computer system with greater ease than in the conventional technique.
It is another object of the present invention to differentiate, in a network diagram created with computer, the service session and the maintenance session to enable a separate setting, displaying, and checking of these sessions.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a technique for detecting a device which may cause a severe communication failure due to the occurrence of failures at the time of network design for the computer system.